PERSONALITY DISORDERS

PERSONALITY DISORDERS

• People with personality disorders have formed peculiar and unpleasant personality patterns. • For example, some are very secretive, some very

self-centered and selfish, some suspicious all the time. • Hence, the term personality disorder is used

because their personalities are “off center.”

Overview of all the types• http://ptypes.com/overviews.html

IT IS PRETTY COMMON

• Antisocial personality disorder and Borderline personality disorder most researched• About 6 to 9% of the population will have one or

more personality disorders during their life.

THREE CLUSTERS

• The main10 disorders are grouped into three clusters

Cluster A: Odd and Eccentric Disorders (paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal)

Cluster B: Dramatic, Emotional, or Erratic Disorders (antisocial, borderline, histrionic, narcissistic)

Cluster C: Anxious and Fearful Disorders (avoidant, dependent, obsessive-compulsive).

CLUSTER A: ODD & ECCENTRIC

Paranoid Personality Disorder• Suspicious of other people’s motives, see

everything others do as a personal attack.• Patients are overly vigilant, misread the actions of

others as threatening or critical, and expect others to exploit them• Typically have no sense of humour and eccentric,

seen as hostile, jealous, and preoccupied with power and control• Have difficulty in relationships• Socially isolated - feelings of persecution• May be a sub-type of schizophrenia

Schizoid Personality Disorder• Avoid intimate relationships and they display little

emotional responsiveness• Loners, cold and indifferent towards others• Lack social skills and

don’t seem to want to learn how to be social

CLUSTER A: ODD & ECCENTRIC

Schizotypal Personality Disorder• Eccentric thought and behaviour.• Believe in paranormal phenomenon such as

telepathy and clairvoyance• Create odd, idiosyncratic combinations of beliefs

or interpret commonplace occurrences in bizarre ways• Speech, perceptual experiences, beliefs, and

behaviours are odd• Not sufficiently eccentric to meet the criteria for

delusional or hallucinatory psychotic experiences

CLUSTER A: ODD & ECCENTRIC

CLUSTER B: DRAMATIC, EMOTIONAL, ERRATIC

Antisocial Personality Disorder• Men diagnosed as having antisocial personality

disorder appear charming and persuasive• Covers up a self-centred, and, in many cases,

criminal lifestyle.• Causes serious problems for society• Originally, people with an antisocial personality

were called psychopaths• The label was given to those who committed ax

murders.  • A lack of conscience is central to this disorder.

ASP DISORDER: CONTINUED

• These people repeatedly come into conflict with the law and show little or no concern, guilt, or anxiety.

Treatment• Nothing works (not drug or psychotherapy)• They are very smooth and agreeable on the outside

and will go along with almost any treatment that is suggestedThey will cooperate, tell you they are getting better, thank you, and seem to be well.

• But as soon as they are released, they go right back to whatever their favorite crime happened to be.  

ASP DISORDER: CONTINUED

• For many, there is a family history of neglect and rough treatment. The parents are often alcoholic and abusive, but there must be millions of people over the years who have had such a background and didn’t act this way. • Sociopaths don’t even abide by the

rules usually followed by criminals. Most criminals have at least some standards. Measure of body chemistry and studies of genetic patterns have yielded nothing of any real significance toward the origin of the sociopath’s behavior.

ASP DISORDER: CONTINUED

DSM-IV-TR criteria for diagnosis :• nonconformity, callousness, deceitfulness,

irresponsibility, impulsivity, aggressiveness, and recklessness• This area of the brain is thought to be responsible

for behavior including appropriate social behavior, judgement, and impulse control. Antisocial personality disorder is thought to develop from chemical imbalances in specific areas of the brain.

CLUSTER B: DRAMATIC, EMOTIONAL, ERRATIC

Psychopathy• distinct group (15-25% of federal inmates).• Egocentric, deceptive, callous, manipulative, no

remorse• Strong link to aggression, & often heinous, cold-

blooded violence.• Brain abnormalities have been found in the

prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, angular gyrus, basal ganglia, and amygdala• Family factors, such as abuse and neglect, have

also been suggested.

CLUSTER B: DRAMATIC, EMOTIONAL, ERRATIC

Borderline• Fluctuations in mood, unstable sense of their

identity, and instability in their relationships• Unpredictable and impulsive, have irritability and

argumentative style• 2% of the population, more common in women•  The diagnosis has only been around since 1980.

BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER

• Intense and unstable relationships with other people are a major characteristic.

• Very dependent people, but they cannot admit this to themselves. So, they constantly test other people’s concern and often sabotage their own relationships.

• They appear to be “clingy” and emotionally needy. However, as soon as the slightest thing fails to go their way, they become extremely angry with the other person, often insulting and belittling them.

BORDERLINE

• In addition, they frequently use self-destructive behavior to manipulate others. Thus, they may make suicide threats and attempts, or deliberately cut themselves, or purposely have accidents.

• It is as if they are so afraid of being abandoned that they are almost daring other people to do just that. Their emotions are also unstable, and they have trouble controlling their impulses. In some cases, perceptions and thoughts are quite distorted.

BORDERLINE

• Celebrities who MAY have borderline personality disorder (However, they are not critically diagnosed)• http://www.anythingtostopthepain.com/

celebrities-with-borderline-personality-disorder-possibly-not-for-sure/

CAUSE OF BORDERLINE?

• Causes are not yet clear. However it does tend to run in families.

Nature or Nurture??• Children who grow up with a borderline-

personality parent will know very little about how to develop and maintain healthy relationships. Angry outbursts or threats of suicide when things don’t go their way could come from imitating a parent who behaved that way. • In other words, their early home life is so chaotic

and emotionally charged that it is almost impossible to separate hereditary and environmental factors.

USE OF PSYCHOTHERAPY

• Borderline personalities are difficult to deal with in psychotherapy. Because they are so suspicious and manipulative, they have trouble developing a positive working relationship with a therapist. Consequently, they tend to switch from one therapist to another over and over again, rarely sticking with it long enough to be successful.

CLUSTER B: DRAMATIC, EMOTIONAL, ERRATIC

Histrionic• People with HPD have a high need for attention,

make loud and inappropriate appearances, exaggerate their behaviors and emotions, and crave stimulation• Often exhibit sexually

provocative behavior, and express strong emotions • Manipulative and self-

indulgent• Affects 4 times more

women than men

LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT ME!

CLUSTER B: DRAMATIC, EMOTIONAL, ERRATIC

Narcissistic• The person is excessively preoccupied with issues

of personal adequacy, power, prestige and vanity. This condition affects 1% of the population

CLUSTER C: ANXIOUS & FEARFUL

Avoidant Personality• Show a pattern of avoiding friendships and are

very sensitive to criticism and disapproval • Actively avoid intimacy with others, but they

desire affection, so clearly they suffer from loneliness.

Dependent Personality• They seek advice, direction from others, need

constant reassurance, seek out relationships where they can play the submissive role.• Desperately need others to assume responsibility

for important aspects of their lives.• Relatives of male dependent patients are more

likely to experience depression, whereas the relatives of female dependents are more likely to have panic disorder

CLUSTER C: ANXIOUS & FEARFUL

LEARNING DISABILITIES

2 - 15 % OF CHILDREN

• Reading Disorder: dyslexia, 2 to 8 % of children in the elementary grades have dyslexia•Mathematical Disorder: dyscalculia, 6% of school-aged children•Written Expression: dysgraphia, prevalence rates are between 3 and 4 %.• Oddly, learning disabilities are more frequently in males than females ( 2 to 1, to 5 to 1)